[Federal Register Volume 88, Number 13 (Friday, January 20, 2023)]
[Notices]
[Pages 3755-3757]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2023-01020]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Geological Survey

[GX23GB00UM20200; OMB Control Number 1028-New]


Agency Information Collection Activities; Earth Mapping Resources 
Initiative (Earth MRI) Competitive Cooperative Agreement Program With 
State Geological Surveys

AGENCY: U.S. Geological Survey, Interior.

ACTION: Notice of information collection; request for comment.

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SUMMARY: In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (PRA), 
the Office of the Secretary will seek Office of Management and Budget 
(OMB) approval of an emergency clearance for a new information 
collection.

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DATES: Interested persons are invited to submit comments on or before 
March 21, 2023.

ADDRESSES: Written comments and recommendations for the proposed 
emergency clearance for a new information collection should be sent to 
Departmental Information Collection Clearance Officer, U.S. Department 
of the Interior, 1849 C Street NW, Washington, DC 20240; or by email to 
[email protected]. Please reference OMB Control Number ``1028-New 
EarthMRI'' in the subject line of your comments.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: To request additional information 
about this Information Collection Request (ICR), contact James Mosley 
by telephone at (703) 648-6312, or by email at [email protected]. 
Individuals in the United States who are deaf, deafblind, hard of 
hearing, or have a speech disability may dial 711 (TTY, TDD, or 
TeleBraille) to access telecommunications relay services. Individuals 
outside the United States should use the relay services offered within 
their country to make international calls to the point-of-contact in 
the United States.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: In accordance with the PRA (44 U.S.C. 3501 
et seq.) and 5 CFR 1320.8(d)(1), all information collections require 
approval. We may not conduct or sponsor, and you are not required to 
respond to, a collection of information unless it displays a currently 
valid OMB control number.
    As part of our continuing effort to reduce paperwork and respondent 
burdens, we invite the public and other Federal agencies to comment on 
new, proposed, revised, and continuing collections of information. This 
helps us assess the impact of our information collection requirements 
and minimize the public's reporting burden. It also helps the public 
understand our information collection requirements and provide the 
requested data in the desired format.
    We are especially interested in public comment addressing the 
following:
    (1) Whether or not the collection of information is necessary for 
the proper performance of the functions of the agency, including 
whether or not the information will have practical utility;
    (2) The accuracy of our estimate of the burden for this collection 
of information, including the validity of the methodology and 
assumptions used;
    (3) Ways to enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the 
information to be collected; and
    (4) How the agency might minimize the burden of the collection of 
information on those who are to respond, including through the use of 
appropriate automated, electronic, mechanical, or other technological 
collection techniques or other forms of information technology, e.g., 
permitting electronic submission of response.
    Comments that you submit in response to this notice are a matter of 
public record. We will include or summarize each comment in our request 
to OMB to approve this ICR. Before including your address, phone 
number, email address, or other personally identifiable information 
(PII) in your comment, you should be aware that your entire comment--
including your PII--may be made publicly available at any time. While 
you can ask us in your comment to withhold your PII from public review, 
we cannot guarantee that we will be able to do so.
    Abstract: Public Law 117-58, Section 40201, ``Earth Mapping 
Resources Initiative'' contained in the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law 
(BIL) (November 15, 2021) authorizes and accelerates the mapping 
efforts of the Earth Mapping Resources Initiative (Earth MRI).
    Earth MRI is a component of the Mineral Resources Program (MRP) and 
is a national effort to carry out the fundamental resources and mapping 
mission of the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS). The goal of Earth MRI is 
to improve our knowledge of the geologic framework in the United States 
and to identify areas that may have the potential to contain critical-
mineral resources. Enhancement of our domestic mineral supply will 
decrease the Nation's reliance on foreign sources of minerals 
fundamental to national security and the economy.
    Earth MRI was established in FY2019 in response to Executive Order 
13817 (``A Federal Strategy to Ensure Secure and Reliable Supplies of 
Critical Minerals'') at a funding level of $9,600,000 (subsequently 
increased to $10,600,000 in FY2020). In FY2022, Earth MRI was 
authorized by the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act [otherwise 
known as the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL)] which directs the 
USGS to accelerate efforts to carry out fundamental integrated 
topographic, geologic, geochemical, and geophysical mapping and provide 
interpretation of subsurface and above-ground (mine waste) critical-
mineral resources data at a funding level of $320,000,000 annually for 
five years (FY2022-FY2026). The BIL authorizes cooperative agreements 
with State geological surveys to support Earth MRI data-collection 
efforts and expands Earth MRI's scope by providing funding to initiate 
mine-waste research and assessment activities as a means to evaluate 
the potential for extraction of critical minerals from mine-waste 
materials. The data and expertise at State geological surveys is 
crucial to this new mine-waste critical-mineral resource mapping effort 
at a national scale.
    The USGS developed a new competitive cooperative agreement program 
with the State geological surveys to support mine-waste activities 
authorized and funded by the BIL. State geological surveys apply for 
funds through an annual competitive process. The Earth MRI Mine Waste 
Cooperative Agreements support three goals of the USGS-Earth MRI 
effort: (1) building a national mine-waste inventory, (2) 
characterizing mine waste at sites across the nation, and (3) 
partnering with State geological surveys to plan Earth MRI data 
acquisition. Individual State projects can last for up to two years.
    BIL Section 40201 stipulates that the USGS may enter into 
cooperative agreements with State geological surveys to accelerate the 
efforts of Earth MRI. Earth MRI has set the deadline to post a Notice 
of Funding Opportunity on grants.gov as January 9, 2023 and a deadline 
for applications to submit proposals as 3 p.m. EDT March 6, 2023. The 
BIL requires the USGS to collect information necessary to ensure that 
cooperative-agreement funds authorized by this legislation are used in 
accordance with the BIL and Federal assistance requirements under 2 CFR 
200. Information collected by Earth MRI as part of the consolidated 
workplan is described below. The USGS seeks OMB approval of an 
emergency clearance to collect this information to manage and monitor 
cooperative agreement awards and comply with the BIL.
    Title of Collection: Earth Mapping Resources Initiative (Earth MRI) 
Competitive Cooperative Agreement Program with State Geological Surveys
    OMB Control Number: 1028-New.
    Form Number: None.
    Type of Review: Request for emergency approval of a new information 
collection.
    Respondents/Affected Public: 25.
    Responses: 73 (25 applications, 32 total six-month progress 
reports, and 16 final technical reports.)
    Total Burden Hours: 2,076 hours.
    Respondent's Obligation: Required to obtain or retain a benefit.
    Frequency of Collection: On occasion.
    Total Estimated Annual Nonhour Burden Cost: None.
    An agency may not conduct or sponsor, nor is a person required to

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respond to, a collection of information unless it displays a currently 
valid OMB control number.
    The authority for this action is the PRA (44 U.S.C. 3501 et seq.).

Sarah J. Ryker,
Associate Director for Energy and Mineral Resources, U.S. Geological 
Survey.
[FR Doc. 2023-01020 Filed 1-19-23; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4338-11-P